Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systems and methods for gaze driven interaction, and in particular, to systems and methods for gaze interaction for automobiles and other mobile vehicles.
Interactions with personal computers and the like have developed substantially, from the traditional computer mouse and keyboard to new modalities such as touch, gesture, and gaze driven inputs.
Concurrently to this development, automobiles and other mobile vehicles have increasingly contained more technology, in the form of safety systems, entertainment systems, and the like.
It has been previously proposed to use eye tracking and the like to monitor driver behavior for safety reasons. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 8,314,707 assigned to Tobii Technology AB whereby an eye tracking or monitoring device is used to determine a drowsiness level of a vehicle driver, based on closing of the driver's eyelids. U.S. Pat. No. 8,314,707 is hereby incorporated by reference, for all purposes, as if fully set forth herein.
A problem exists with current technology in automobiles and other mobile vehicles whereby a user must physically interact with the technology, thereby distracting them from devoting available physical and mental resources from controlling the vehicle. For example, in an automobile comprising a touch enabled central control system, a user must physically touch the display in order to control the unit, possibly even diverting their attention from the road to do so. Controls may also be enacted by physical buttons or the like on the central control system, or on the steering wheel of the automobile.
Typically, such systems requiring interaction from the user are placed on the central console of an automobile or mobile vehicle. This requires the user to look away from the road or environment surrounding the vehicle for intermittent and/or prolonged periods in order to make adjustments or give commands to the system.
One goal of embodiments of the present invention is to provide systems and methods which minimize and/or alleviate the need of a user to devote mental resources to, and/or physically interact with, technology based systems in a moving vehicle.
It is a further goal of embodiments of the present invention to provide systems and methods that allow a user to control a control system of a vehicle through gaze interaction, whereby after gaze interaction the user may continue to control the control system with minimal requirement to provide further gaze interaction, and/or further gaze at the control system. It is a further goal of embodiments of the present invention to provide systems and methods that allow a user to interact with a control system through gazing at items and/or locations within a vehicle.
This and other goals and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be made apparent from the description, figures, and claims provided herein.